A conveniently attached partial shield for golf carts to give some protection to the occupant against UV radiation from the sun.
Golf carts, because of the nature of the game in which they are employed for transportation, must inherently have a very open structure. The nearness of observers and of other players requires an openness for visibility. Sometimes, but not always, there is a roof which stops all light and radiation from directly above. However, in every case, the back and sides must be essentially open for safety of the driver and his occupants and also of nearby people.
These vehicles are relatively narrow, so the driver and occupants will necessarily sit close to an open side, exposed to radiation. This openness is also necessary to facilitate the frequent entry and exit of persons who play the game.
It is an object of this invention to provide a shield to be fitted over a portion of the golf cart in locations where it will not impede the entry and exit of the occupants, which is sufficiently transmissive of visual images, which is significantly resistant to UV radiation, and most importantly for this invention, readily mounted without interfering with safety features of the golf cart.
Covers for these general purposes are known. Examples are Sanders U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,548 and Welsh et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,932. While providing some of the basic utility of this invention, they involve more complexity and interference with the occupants than is desirable. It is an object of this invention to provide a shield which can readily be mounted with little effort, and which involve no interference with safety features of the invention such as the side rails.
A shield according to this invention comprises a sheet-like structure having a top, a rear panel, and a pair of opposite side panels. This construction can be placed with its top panel supported by the roof of the golf cart or by a framework, with its panels depending from it in both situations. The panels extend forwardly to locations to where they will not interfere with the access or the view of the occupants. The panels and the top meet and are joined at edges.
According to this invention, at the forward end of each side panel there is a strap. These straps are of sufficient length that their combination will pass under the front seat of the cart. Joinders on the free ends of the straps enable them to be joined to form a binder that holds down the side panels when the seat is down.
There is no attachment to the chassis. Instead, the joined straps simply meet under the seats and hold down the shield. This does not engage any part of the framework, especially the side rails, which are not obscured by a tie-down device that would hold the shield down by being attached to the rails. Instead, it is fastened loosely under the seats while they are raised, and then the seat is lowered on it to hold it tightly.
The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which: